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Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Adventures in a Citroen 2CV Charleston

Chugging Around Europe In A Citroen 2CV Charleston

We spent four months touring Europe in this car. We picked it up from
Paris in October and returned it there in February. It didn't go much
faster than 70 kilometres per hour which is about 40 mph. On the
motorways the Porsches, Mercedes Benzes, Audis and BMWs passing us were just a
blur. It had no radio. And really, we didn't need one. We shared a Sony
Walkman. It was heated by opening a vent from the engine compartment.
Supplemented with hats, gloves and scarves.

Classic Citroen 2CV Charleston

The Citroen 2CV Is The Most Fun Car Experience Ever

When my husband and I first made the decision to go traveling we
explored our options for getting around. We had already decided not to
take a tour as we wanted to make our own way and take our own time. We
knew we would stay mainly in youth hostels so there would be plenty of
opportunity to meet other travelers but by avoiding the tour group, six
countries in seven days kind of traveling we intended to get a more
authentic experience of the countries and regions we planned to visit.

We
compared the tourist lease plan offered by the French car companies to
traveling by Eurail pass and decided on having our own car for several
reasons. Firstly it gave us total freedom of movement. If we liked the
look of a village we could call in and see it. If we saw a sign to an
interesting monument, church, vineyard, mushroom farm, cheese cave or
whatever, we could go there. Also, although we were traveling pretty
light the car would allow us to carry extra if we needed to. This meant
that we could take food with us and stop by the side of the road and
make lunch. Or we could buy a bottle of wine or some beer and be able to
easily take it with us. We also found an unexpected additional benefit
as we traveled further north. It got so cold that the boot (trunk) was
like a refrigerator and kept the beer and wine nicely chilled and the
food items fresh.

This Little Car Has Attitude!

Traveling In The Citroen 2CV

Having made the
decision to travel by car, we just had to decide which car. Of course,
our budget did have a lot to do with it. But ultimately we chose to go
with the 2CV Charleston because it just looked like so much fun. And we
weren’t disappointed. This is a car with a personality. This is the car
the French call the ‘deux cheveux’ which means two horses. The Germans
call it the ‘ente’ which means the ‘duck’! I think I prefer the french
nick-name.

It was a brave little car. We drove over 10,000km in four months from
Paris north through Germany, across to Belgium, back through Germany,
north to Denmark and Sweden. We reached Stockholm in November to learn
that the people we were intending to visit lived a further 400km north
in a place called Sundsvall. On seeing what we were travelling in, the
friends of the family we stayed with suggested it might be time we turn
south! After leaving Sweden, our little car returned us back through
Denmark and Germany into Austria, Italy and Yugoslavia (as it was still
known). At a place called Senj, a small coastal town, the winds were so
strong we thought we would be blown off the road.

Two of a Kind - A Pair of Citroen 2CVs

Citroen 2CV 6 Charleston Burgundy/Black Model

This is a great reminder of our European Escapade in a Citroen 2CV Charleston. I think I'll go add it to my Amazon wishlist.

No More Citroen 2CV

We returned to Europe five years later as a prelude to our return to
Australia. After three and a half years living and working in London we
had made the decision to return home but first there was more of Europe
to see. We were looking forward to the opportunity to re-live our
experience with the Citroen 2CV Charleston. Alas, when we investigated
our options the Citroen 2CV was no longer among them so we settled for a
rather boring AX-10. It was small and boring but not so boring that it
didn't attract an opportunistic break-in snatch and grab during which we
lost a small camera whilst doing our laundry in Perpignan in the south
of France. Our love affair with the Citroen 2CV Charleston was now a
memory!

Check out the Classic Citroen 2CV Race

Beautifully Restored Citroen 2CV

Would You Have Chosen This Form Of Travel? Do you have a Citroen 2CV story?

One Month In Italy

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